Draw-bench with tongs-returning device.



No 762,124. PATBNTBD JUNE 7, 1904.

J. J. BOAX- DEA W BENCH WITH TONGS RETURNING DEVICE.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 10, 1902.

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PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904.

J. J. BOAX.

DRAW BENCH WITH TONGS RETURNING DEVICE.

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APPLICATION FILED APR. 10. 1902.

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No. 762,124. PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904.

J. J. BOAX. DRAW BENCH WITH TONGS RETURNING DEVIGE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.10. 1902.,

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UNITED STATES Patented June '7, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

JOHN J. BOAX, OF' MOKEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL TUBECOMPANY.

DRAW-BENCH WITH TONGS-RETURNING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,124, dated June 7,1904,

Application filed April 10, 1902,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. BOAX, a resident of McKeesport, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania; have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Draw-Benches with Tongs-Returning Devices; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

My invention relates to metal-drawing apparatus, and more especially toapparatus for drawing tube-blanks out of a welding-furnace through bellsor the like to form butt-weld tubing.

The object of my invention is to improve apparatus of this character byproviding mechanism whereby the tongs, gripper, hook, or other meansused for attaching the tube or other blank to the drawing mechanism isreturned to the front end of the drawing apparatus.

According to the most approved present practice of making butt-weldtubing the blanks are charged into a furnace and after having beenraised to a welding heat are seized by means of tongs or likepipe-drawing tool, which is inserted through an opening in the front endof the furnace. A welding-bell is slipped over the reins of the tongs,and the latter is then connected, by means of a hook, buggy, or thelike, to suitable drawing mechanism, preferably to acontinuously-traveling I draw-chain, by means of which the plate isdrawn out of the furnace and through the key, as it is called, whichtakes into the links ofthe chain, and when the tube has been drawnsucceeding plates.

overheating the plates.

. make butt-weld tubing in double-standard Serial No. 102,192. (Nomodel.)

lengths, in which case the difficulties would be increased by reason ofthe greater distance through which and greater speed at which thebuggy-boy must travel, and it may be found necessary with the oldmechanism to employ two buggy-boys for a single double-lengthdraw-bench.

The object of my invention is to improve apparatus for drawing metalarticles in general, and more especially for drawing blanks out of awelding-furnace through a bell to form butt-weld tubing by providingmechanism whereby the tongs, grippers, hooks, and

other means for attaching the blank to the drawing mechanism arereturned to the front of the furnace, so as to be at hand when needed bythe welder, thus preventing delay in grasping the plate and pulling itout of the furnace, increasing the output and preventing the overheatingof the blanks, relieving the buggyboy of a part of the work, andnecessitating the employment of a less number of boys.

To this end my invention consists in providing, in connection with theusual or any ap proved drawing mechanism, a conveyer for returning thetongs, hooks, and other connecting means to the front end of the drawingmechanism, which conveyer preferably will be located on the draw-benchat the side of the usual draw-chain and driven from the latter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 1 are a plan View of oneform of my apparatus. Figs. 2 and 2 are side views thereof. Fig. 3 is avertical longitudinal section through the forward end of the same. Figs.4, 5, and 6 are transverse sections on the lines 4 i, 5 5, and 6 6,respectively, Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 illustrates the usual tongs and hooksemployed.

My invention, as heretofore stated, applies to metal-drawing apparatusin general, but more especially to apparatus for manufacturing butt-weldtubing, and as it can be as well illustrated in connection with thelatter I will so describe it. Any suitable welding-furnace in which theplates or blanks are raised to suitable welding heat may be employed,the furnace preferably being heated by gas and of the regenerative type.This furnace is shown at 1., having the hearth 2 and the usualregenerator-ports at the sides thereof. The hearth will be of suflicientwidth to contain the necessary number of blanks 3 to keep the drawingapparatus in practically continuous operation. In the front end of thefurnace is a suitable opening or openings 4, through which the blanksare drawn out of the furnace.

The drawing mechanism may be of any de sired type and may be eitherstationary or movable laterally in front of the furnace, so as to bebrought into line with any one of the blanks in the furnace. I haveillustrated as suitable for my purpose a swinging drawbench 6, pivotedat 7 and provided with the usual draw chain 8, running over an idlesprocket-wheel 9 at the front end of the bench and a drivensprocket-wheel 10 at the rear end of the bench, the latter being drivenby any suitable or convenient mechanism as, for instance, from theelectric motor 12. The front end of the bench will be provided withsuitable holders 13 for the .usual bell 14. As a convenient means forattaching the tubeblanks to the d raw-chain, I may employ tongs 15 ofany approved type and the hook or monkey 16. The parts so far describedare or may be of v'vell-known construction, and the specific formsillustrated and described have been selected because they are the onesmost commonly used for this purpose and serve equally as well as anyother for illustrating my invention.

In the use of the apparatus so far described the plates or other blanks3 when raised to a welding heat will be seized by the tongs, a bellslipped over the reins of the latter, and said reins connected, by meansof the hook 16, to the draw-chain 8, by means of which the plate will bedrawn out of the furnace through the bell, and thereby bent into tubularform, with its edges butt-welded together. As soon as the tube has beendrawn through the bell the tongs are disengaged therefrom, and both thetongs and hook must be returned to the front end of the bench, the tongsbeing placed in a water tank or bosh to cool and the hook being used fordrawing the next succeeding blank. l-Ieretofore the hook has beenreturned by the buggy-boy and the tongs by another boy. I providemechanism for doing this work. This mechanism may be of various forms,but with the particular bench illustrated it can conveniently be appliedby providing on the side of the bench a conveyer which will carry thetongs and hooks back to the forward end of the bench. This conveyerconsists, preferably, of atrough 18, formed on the side of the bench andin which runs an endless conveyer chain or belt 19, which passes oversuitable sprocket-wheels or the like and 21 at the front and rear endsof the conveyer, and one of which, preferably the forward one 20, ispositively driven as, for instance, by

having its shaft connected by the spur-gears 22 and 23 to the shaft ofthe sprocket-wheel 9. As the latter is constantly driven by means of thedraw-chain, the conveyer chain or belt 19 will be positively driven, butin a direction opposite to that of the draw-chain. The upper reach ofthe conveyer-ehain 19 will be supported by the bottom of the trough 18,while the lower reach thereof will be supported at intervals by idlerollers or wheels 24, secured to the bench. The tongs, hooks, and likeconnecting means after being disengaged from a drawn tube will be placedon the conveyer chain or belt and will be carried thereby back to theforward end of the bench. The floor of the trough near its forward endrises or slopes upwardly, so that the tongs or hook will be carried upthe same and deposited in the widened and elevated portion 26 of thetrough. If desired, a ledge or guide 27, having an oblique edge, may beplaced just over the conveyer-chain near its forward end and will pushthe tongs or hooks off the chain onto the widened floor of the trough.The tank or bosh for cooling the tongs preferably will be placed at therear end of the bench, as at 28, and as soon as the tongs and hook aredisengaged from the tube the former will be placed in the bosh to cool,while the hook will be placed at once upon the conveyerchain andreturned to the front of the furnace and the tongues will be returned assoon as they are cooled. It is understood, of course, that a suflicientnumber of tongs will be provided to insure a cool pair of tongs being atthe front end of the bench whenever needed by the welder, and also thata sufficient number of hooks will be provided, so that one will alwaysbe at the front end of the bench when req ui red.

The operation of my mechanism will be understood from the foregoingdescription. It is very simple, does not get out of repair easily, anddoes not materially add to the complication or size of the bench. Bymeans of it the buggy-boy is relieved of a good deal of work and a lessnumber of boys will be required; but what is more essential the welderwill not have to walk from two to ten feet for the tongs, as at present,and will not have to wait for the return of the hook or other connectingmeans to the front end of-the bench, so that the output of the furnacewill be considerably increased and overheating of the plates avoided. Myinvention, as before stated, also has advantages, although in a lesserdegree, for drawing long metal articles of any kind or description,whether cold or hot.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In metal-drawing apparatus, the combi nation with a die or hell, ofdrawing mechanism in line therewith, a tongs anda hook separatetherefrom for attaching the blank to the drawing mechanism, andmechanism disconnected from the tongs and hook for returning the same tothe front end of the drawing mech anism.

2. In metal-drawing apparatus, the combination with a die or bell, of acontinuously-running draw-chain in line therewith, means for attachingthe blank to the chain, and continuously-running mechanism actuated fromthe chain for returning the attaching means to the front endof thedrawing apparatus.

3. In metal-drawing apparatus, the combination with a die or hell, ofdrawing mechanism in line therewith, means for attaching the blank tothe drawing mechanism, a conveyer disconnected from the attaching meansfor returning the same to the front end of the drawing mechanism, andmeans for driving said conveyer always in one direction.

4:. In metal-drawing apparatus, the combination with a die or bell, of adraw-chain in line therewith, means for attaching the blank to thedraw-chain, and a conveyer actuated from the draw-chain for returningthe attaching means to the front end of the drawing mechanism.

5. In metal-drawing apparatus, the combination with a die or bell, ofdrawing mechanism in line therewith, means for attaching the blank tothe drawing mechanism, a trough at the side of said drawing mechanism,and a positively-driven conveyer chain in said trough for returning theattaching means to the front end of the drawing mechanism.

6. In metal-drawing apparatus, the combination with a die or bell, ofdrawing mechanism in line therewith, means for attaching the blank tothe drawing mechanism, a trough at the side of said drawing mechanism,said trough having an inclined front end, and a conveyer-chain runningin said trough for returning the attaching means to the front end of thedrawing mechanism.

7. In tube-making apparatus, the combination with a furnace, of adraw-bench in front of the same, its draw-chain, means for attaching thetube-blank to the draw-chain, aconveyer on said bench for returning theattaching means to the front end of said bench, and means for drivingsaid conveyer always in one direction.

8. In tube-making apparatus, the combination with a furnace, of drawingmechanism in front of the same, means for attaching the tube-blank tothe drawing mechanism, a conveyer on said drawing mechanism and actuatedtherefrom for returning the attaching means to the front end of thedrawing mechanism.

9. In tube-making apparatus, the combination with a furnace, of adraw-bench in front of the same, a draw-chain therefor, sprocketwheelsat the ends of the bench over which said draw-chain passes, aconveyer-chain on said bench, sprocket-wheels around which the samepasses, and connections between one of the sprocket-wheels of thedraw-chain and one of the sprocket-wheels of the conveyerchain.

10. In tube-making apparatus, the combination with a furnace, of adraw-bench in front of the same, drawing mechanism on said drawbench,means for attaching the tube-blank to the drawing mechanism, aconveyer-chain on said draw-bench, and a trough in which saidconveyer-chain runs, said trough having an upwardly-inclined forward endto deliver the attaching means from the conveyer-chain.

11. In tube-making apparatus, the combination with a furnace, of adraw-bench in front of the same, its draw-chain, a conveyer-chain onsaid bench at the side of the draw-chain, a trough in which saidconveyer-chain runs, said trough having a widened forward end, and anoblique guide projecting over the conveyer-chain at the forward endthereof to deliver the tongs or hook from said chain.

In testimony whereof I, the said JOHN J. BOAX, have hereunto set myhand.

JOHN J. BOAX.

Witnesses:

ROBERT C. ToT'rEN, RoBT. D. TOTTEN.

